VIOLET’S POV
It was my fault, they said, and for a solid eight years, I couldn’t understand how that could be. I just couldn’t get it.
I was twelve back then, and I believed the words of the woman who had raised me up until that age. I followed her lead, and when she didn’t make it out alive, I was forced to take the blame for the person who was actually responsible for it.
I was scorned and punished. And now, here I am, staring at the person who caused all this pain with another woman.
Sam smirked from where he was, taking his sweet time to finish before redirecting his attention back to me. Sussy rested her body on his, the moment he got off her, and to say I was disgusted would be an understatement. Above all, I wondered if this was the first time she had slept with him or it had happened more than a few times.
Why would she do something like that to me, even after years of friendship? I could understand Sam turning away from me, but her? What was the reason behind it? It couldn’t possibly be jealousy, because then what would she be jealous of? Me getting bitten by nasty poisonous insects or being locked in my cell for years on end?
What was it?
“I looked up to you for years, Sussy. I came to you when I was most hurt, and you comforted me. Yet, you do this to me? What if I had been the one to get together with your mate? Would you forgive me?”
The audacity of her to laugh and she did, breaking into laughter like I had suddenly become the most anticipated circus clown.
“Get over yourself Violet. My mate, whoever he is, would never get down with a rag like you. And let’s skip the whole ‘being friends’ thing. Seriously, do you have any idea how exhausting it was to constantly hear you whine like some baby? Just grow up already!”
She sneered at me while Sam laid there, caressing her hair and smiling to himself, relishing in my pain.
“You see, Violet, I could never be with you,” he started to say, not even bothering to look at me as he spoke. “Not in this life or the next. Because, just think about it, every time I would have to look at you, all I’ll ever see is the reason my mother is dead. Do you think I could ever forgive you for that?”
How was he still hung up on that when he, of all people, knew the truth?
“I wasn’t the rogue that killed her, Sam. I wasn’t the reason my father betrayed the pack….”
“But your father isn’t here to pay for his crimes, Violet, is he? You don’t suppose we would just let things go just because he’s dead, do you? Someone has to pay for it, and you have that traitor’s blood in your veins. I mean, it’s only a matter of time before you find your own reasons to further betray your people. So take this - if not as you atoning for your father’s sins – you getting punished in advance.”
I wanted to scream some sense into his face. I wanted him to understand that he couldn’t hate me for my father’s crimes, but who was I kidding? He had done so for eight solid years, and he was still doing it.
Sam rose from his lying position and sat upright. He leaned forward, pressing his elbows into his knees as he did so, and he flashed me a mocking smile. I was still on the ground, looking like a beggar waiting for the king’s crumbs to eat.
“Oh Violet, such an unlucky soul you are.” He muttered, then clapped his hands together and stood to his feet in his naked glory without a care in the world. “Let’s get this over with, shall we?”
My brows furrowed at his words, and I kept my eyes down. My palms got sweaty as I waited for whatever he had planned next, but at the start of his words, it didn’t matter that he was butt naked. My head shot upwards, and my eyes widened.
“I, Sam Chandler, future Alpha of the Dark Moon Pack, reject you, Violet Windsor, as my mate and future Luna. Our bond means nothing to me, and I sever it now and forever.”
Was it just pain, or was I pulled right down to hell without actually dying? I screamed so loudly I could hear my voice disappear.
But he wasn’t finished, and while I continued to hit my chest from the pain of my heart breaking, he spoke. “I don’t want you here any longer and like I said to you before, I would have had you killed or banished a long time ago, and this time, I mean it. I will have my father throw you out of this pack.”
He pulled me up from the ground like I weighed nothing, walked towards his door and threw me out like a used rag. I picked up what was left of myself – my body only being an empty shell with no soul in it – and I ran out of the house.
I ran like my life depended on it, feeling pain shoot through my body with each step. And since everywhere hurt, I didn’t dare stop even after falling several times. Somehow the pain had become a driving force.
My vision blurred from the tears that streamed down my face like a waterfall that was never gonna dry up. You’d think I’d be dehydrated from all that crying, right?
But enough was enough. Those tears were from all the years I spent fighting and hoping for a life that now seemed impossible.
I knew deep down I wasn’t going to get far if I let them continue to decide my fate.
I was done with all of it; done hoping, done holding onto words that meant nothing now.
“Your mate will love you unconditionally, my ass.” I muttered in frustration as I continued to run. My heart was pounding, and I felt like I was going to pass out soon.
Her words didn’t hold any truth in them any longer, but maybe if she had been alive and he didn’t hate me – well, no one did except my father – then I could have seen her words come to pass, not like they were some kind of prophecy or anything.
I trusted your words Luna, I trusted you and now look at me. Eight years of pain in vain.
Normally, I would see images of her in my mind, but I hadn’t in a while, and the realization that I couldn’t even remember clearly how she looked like rested on my chest like a blanket.
With my face covered in mud, my legs sore, blistered and wounded, I kept on running. With my heart racing, my lungs begging for rest, I went further.
And without even realizing that the sky had become completely overcast with clouds, and suddenly it started to pour down rain as if the sky had been ripped open. I ran stopping when the water touched me. The rain fell so violently, it felt like it wasn’t just pouring down but beating the living daylights out of me, as if I hadn’t suffered enough already.
Resentment filled my heart, knowing that even nature seemed to hate me. “What are we going to do, Vi? Are we going to go back there?”
Aria, my wolf, spoke in a voice that saddened me further. All the hurt I had felt earlier didn’t seem to matter anymore knowing that she was the one hurting the most. Her bond wasn’t just severed with her mate, it had ripped out her cords painfully. But I was shocked she hadn’t gone into hiding and that she was actually choosing to speak to me.
“I thought….”
“I’m never going to abandon you, V. I was already late showing up and I have no plans to ever leave you, we’re in this together.” She said firmly, and I found myself nodding in agreement to her words.
I wasn’t alone after all, and I wasn’t crying anymore. I was still in pain but the tears in my eyes had dried up, and the only liquid falling was the rain that continued to pour down. The only thing I felt now was a burning rage in my chest.
“Vi, I’m with you every step of the way, no matter the decision you make. But do you think we could ever continue to stay here? I can’t bear watching Sam be with someone else, Vi,” Aria asked again.
“And you won’t ever have to Aria. We’ll get out of here. One way or another, we’ll find our place in this world. We’ll find a home for ourselves.” I said to her firmly, determination etching my face.
The pack’s borderline wasn’t far away from us, and in a few seconds, we would have no ties with the Dark Moon Pack for whatsoever reason. I wanted that, and I knew Aria did too.
So, I squared my aching shoulders, ready to move, when the bushes in front of me rustled. My breath hitched in my throat as wolves emerged from the bushes in numbers that made all the blood on my face drain out.
Rogues.
VIOLET’S POVMy throat tightened on its own as the rogues emerged, moving like a force I knew I couldn’t reckon with. The disdain they carried for anything but themselves was thick in the air, and I tried to swallow the fear that rose up.“Careful Vi or they’ll kill us.” Aria warned, already pushing herself forward so that she could take control anytime she wanted.“But they are here to kill us.” I snapped at her without meaning to.The stench of decay filled my lungs, and bile rose up from my stomach as they got closer. It was as if I could even see the putrid smell hanging in the air from how bad it was, and if I were to inhale more of it, I feared I would rot myself.I stood frozen in my place, unmoving, desperately wanting more than anything to be invisible to them. I was even too afraid to breathe, but my lungs needed air-Pure, clean air.Just when it looked like I might make it out alive by staying still, a rogue sprung out from my left side. I let out an ear-piercing scream upo
VIOLET’S POVI groaned stirring awake my head pounding like I had been hit by a giant rock. Confused for a moment, not knowing where I was, I tried to sit up but was forced back on whatever it was I was laying on. Pain shot up from my back in a way that seemed like I broke a cord.My breath quickened and as I tried to take deep ones to calm myself, I let my eyes roam the room. I was in a tent but I didn’t have any memory of how I got here.Images from the rogue attack flashed in my mind and my hand flew to the back of my head where I had been hit before I fell unconscious. Pain throbbed, letting me know it was not a dream at all.My body also seemed to be covered in some kind of herb that had been mashed into a paste. It smelled horrible and I couldn’t help but scrunch my nose.I stared at it, too engrossed staring at the wound marks on my body, trying to figure out the combination of herbs used to even notice that someone had entered the tent and he was looking at me surprised.Was I
VIOLET’S POV(Six Years Later)“You can do better!” my voice called out as I stood by the edge of the mat warriors under my command were fighting on.There were sets of them, engaging in hand to hand combat that could determine what strength level they had. Looking at Asher who was pressed onto the mat by his opponent, he sure had a long way to go.It wasn’t that he wasn’t good, he just needed to be better because that was what was expected of warriors. I had my eyes on him for some time because he joined the warriors squad with so much energy that now seemed to look like it was dying off.The fight ended and they were moved to the next test ahead. They were to climb and go through military obstacles we had mounted and changed from time to time.Asher was falling behind again and I had to keep my eyes on him. The mat wasn’t so much as a problem like the obstacles were.But that didn’t mean he wasn’t pushing himself. Regardless of his speed, I had to give it to him for being persistent
VIOLET’S POVHurt flashed through my eyes, and I knew that Beta Mike could see it. It was as they said. I was the best warrior in the pack, the best they had had in years, and now I was just supposed to drop everything and look for a mate that had rejected me?Somehow, even with my skills, I had become dispensable, and I just didn’t know how to feel about that.Six years!Alpha John wasted no time on me. He said his words and walked right out with no intentions whatsoever to listen to anything I had to say.I hated that about him, and while I was appreciative he let me stay, he refused, out of the majority, to see me as a good person.I walked out after him, feeling everyone’s gaze on me. Beta Mike was quick to follow, much to my dissatisfaction.“This is him getting rid of me, isn’t it?” I voiced, regardless of not wanting anyone around.I turned to face him, begging the tears in my eyes to keep still and not to fall. But they did anyway.His shoulders slumped like he had been the on
SAM’S POVNothing was enough. No one was ever enough to get me back to being myself. I was an empty shell living and walking, pretending I was okay when I was not even an inch closer to getting back to being the person I used to be.There had been times I questioned myself on who I really was. Whether it had been the resentful one that hated that weakling if a mate or the one before that?Both seasons of my existence, I thrived and lived my best life. I should have known to keep her locked. I should have recognized that while I rejected her, I removed a big piece of myself and killed it alongside her.Because the moment she was gone out of the house, I never set eyes on her again.For six years I wondered where she was and if she was even alive at all. I couldn’t even deny the part of me that wished she was alive, maybe then I wouldn’t feel so empty.But I came to understand that there was no way she would have lived long enough to make it in the wild. She just wasn’t strong enough an
VIOLET’S POVAll I wanted was to end this game without being captured by anyone. All I wanted to do was hide until everything was over. Alpha John wanted me to have a mate I didn’t want to.I had a plan and now it was ruined.To see him standing in front of me like he had seen a ghost was beyond shocking. I hoped not to see him either but I expected it.It was as though I prepared for it because as soon as I saw him, I was hit by a wave of shock but I was able to recover almost instantly. But him?He had his eyes wide as saucers and his mouth open agape. If I wasn’t such in a shitty mood, I would have had a laugh.The mere sight of him had me feeling nauseous and Aria could feel it.“Let me kill him!” She snarled, swiping her claws in his face drawing a lot of blood. But of course he started to heel almost immediately after.“He’s not worth killing Aria,” I don’t want to waste anymore time around him than I already have. I told her before blocking her out to talk him out of standing i
VIOLET’S POV“Look, we don’t mean any harm, okay? We just want to talk,” the one with the silver hair spoke, making my eyes trail to him.My chest was pounding like a deer in front of headlights. My palms were sweaty too, making me clench and unclench them in order to get them dry.Think Vi, what do you do?My heart continued to pound in my chest. “You’re making us look bad, Vi. Won’t you say anything to our mates?” Aria rang in my head, emphasizing the last word.“What do you want with me?” I questioned, not caring that it sounded off.One of them chuckled, the one with jet black hair, and he smiled when I whipped my head to glare at him.“Isn’t it obvious? You’re our mate. And you heard him, we just want to talk.”I heard him the first time, jackass. No need to be an asshole about it.“Our wolves sensed you just before the games began.” The redhead stated. “So we split up in hopes to find you quicker. That way, we didn’t mean to scare you, mate.”I winced at the last word; the mere
VIOLET’S POVI stared toward the source of the commotion, only to be shocked by the sight of the very people I wanted nothing more than to hide from. Someone had tripped all because he was attempting the challenge of staring and walking at the same time. I winced, already wishing for the ground to open up and swallow me.All eyes, including mine, were on them, and as much as I hated to admit it, I couldn’t deny that they looked extremely dashing, all three of them. Butterflies took flight in my stomach and a blush crept onto my face.Don’t look, don’t feel. I scolded myself.Men and women flocked around them, everyone eager for a bit of a conversation with them. Tracy was right about the commanding aura that the three Alphas were radiating, holding the most power in the room.And from how some of the conversations were going, I got to understand what their names were pretty quickly.Adrian had apparently been the first of the three I met. He was the black haired stranger that indirect